Steel Angel Kurumi: the manga continuation
by Skull-16
Summary: While the complete anime was avaliable to the public, the english dub of the manga never got past volume 9. This is my attempt to continue the story, from where chapter 53 left off at the end of volume 9. I own nothing unless specified.


Episode 54

Hopes for the Future

Eiki examined the small jumble of artefacts Nakahito had laid out in front of them. "Are you sure you want to try this?"

"Yeah. I'm ready." Her bonded mystic quietly replied.

"Then let the enchantment commence." the doll sized dragon spirit said as she smiled behind her fan.

Nakahito knelt, piled the mound of soil into the plate and with practiced and gentle hands, poured the water over the mound in the shape of a typical "star" rune. He followed this by placing five small ceramic tablets, each with a rune representing each of the five elements, in a pentagonal pattern around the plate. Then, gathering his thoughts placed his palms together and began to chant:

"RIN-PYO-TO-SHA-KAI-JIN-RETSU-ZAI-ZEN, RIN-PYO-TO-SHA-KAI-JIN-RETSU-ZAI-ZEN, RIN-PYO-TO-SHA-KAI-JIN-RETSU-ZAI-ZEN…"

With each passing verse of the chant, something stirred within the mound of earth, while the rune Nakahito had traced with the water seemed to glow steadily brighter. The tassels on his ceremonial robe seemed to sway with the magic he was focusing into the earth. After about a minute of chanting, Nakahito allowed himself a quick peek and opened his eye just a fraction. What he saw made him fall back in shock.

"HOWYA DOIN' MASTER?" Kurumi asked with enthusiasm.

Nakahito tried to find his voice as his heart rate slowed back down. "Ku-Kurumi! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"I was just wondering how you were coming along with your training," the pink-haired steel angel said naively. The cheerful, carefree look on her face said she had no idea what she was interrupting. "So, whatcha doin' this time Master? Summoning a dragon? Making demon poison? Looking into the future?" With each question, Kurumi pushed her face closer to Nakahito's until she was leaning on all fours over the plate and Nakahito was leaning back on his elbows. Regathering his train of thought, Nakahito pushed himself back into his kneeling position while Kurumi sat back on her haunches. "None of the above." he admitted. "This is just another task Eiki is making me do to increase my strength."

"Oh." Kurumi seemed a bit put out by this, but she immediately sprang back into her normal joyful disposition. "Hey! Why don't you take a breather from all this practicing and let's go check out the local aibiki spots! We can walk around, grab some sweets, just have fun for the…" Kurumi froze in mid sentence as she noticed Eiki hovering in front of her nose. "…day?" Eiki swiped her fan across Kurumi's face, making the angel fall onto her back.

"Ow!"

"Eiki!" Nakahito exclaimed, shocked at his guardian spirit's behaviour.

Eiki grabbed Kurumi by the base of her ponytail and, showing unbelievable strength for a being her size, dragged her out of the room, ignoring Kurumi's loud protests. "If you keep butting in on Nakahito, he will never learn how to use the full range of his powers and unless his power grows, the chances of us removing his curse will become slimmer and slimmer. So if you want to help us, go downstairs, help in the café, and LEAVE US ALONE!"

The little spirit dumped Kurumi in the hall and slid the door shut.

Kurumi rubbed her sore nose and looked at the paper screen door she had just been tossed out of. Damn that Eiki. You shouldn't even be near my Master without my permission! I don't want to share him.

"Kurumi, what happened? Why are you crying?"

Kurumi looked to the side to see her younger sister, Saki, standing over her with concern in her eyes.

"Master and Eiki are always practicing together nowadays. I just wanted to know how Master was and I got thrown out." Kurumi sniffed. "I wish I'd never heard of that stupid happiness egg."

Saki felt pity for her "big sis" and helped her to her feet, but then an unexpected thought came to her. If Kurumi rejected me like that, then I probably wouldn't want to go on! I have to make Nakahito apologize to her for breaking her heart! "Well Kurumi," she began sweetly, "maybe a few hours of work will take your mind off it. And when we're done, maybe Nakahito will apologize to you."

Kurumi dried her eyes with the back of her hand. "Maybe you're right about the work Saki. But it was Eiki who threw me out, not Master."

"Oh."

The two angels descended the staircase and came to a choice of three doorways. Straight on would lead them to the kitchen, left would take them to the changing rooms and right would take them to the café itself. Saki went through the kitchen doors and said a quick apology to Karinka and Ms. Amagi while Kurumi entered the changing rooms. She quickly stripped down to her undergarments and put on her waitress uniform but stopped as she was tying up her apron. It never feels right when I leave Eiki alone with Master. I know he would never to do anything wrong with her, but… She sighed. Is this still jealousy I feel for Eiki's bond with Nakahito? Kurumi remembered back to that day 100 years ago when Dr. Amagi had guessed what bothered her and given Kurumi the strange little gramophone machine she called the Romance-Enhanceitron. While trying to find Nakahito to use it on, Kurumi, Saki and Karinka had been sidetracked into becoming superstars overnight; it was only at the end of that 'Cinderella' play that Kurumi had realized she only needed Nakahito's love to be truly happy. Now that I think about it, my jealousy over Eiki led to all that confusion. I guess it's only natural and okay to feel jealous about something, but letting myself forget what makes me happy is just silly. Kurumi decided and finished dressing. Just as she was putting her 'cat ears' headband on, the door swung open and in stepped Kaga. The tall, dark haired, cold-eyed angel settled her gaze on Kurumi. "What the hell is keeping you? Karinka and I can't keep up with the lunch rush alone!"

"Oh. Okay." Kurumi said softly.

Kaga's expression immediately softened. "It's about Nakahito's dragon spirit, right?"

"Yeah. Um, Kaga, just what is Eiki?"

"You know what she is."

"I know she's a 'guardian dragon spirit', but just what is that?"

"Hmm." Kaga almost smiled at her question. "We don't really know everything about them. Spirits aren't made of anything we can study."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"We can see them, we can hear them and we can touch them. But in terms of physical matter, they might as well not be there at all. We can't find out what matter they're made of or if they are just energy. But some of the spirits that the academy tried studying told us this: a spirit is made of desire."

Kaga paused to let Kurumi's mind catch up. "The desire to posses, the desire to own, the desire to do something, the desire to love someone. And in Eiki's case, the desire to protect."

Kurumi was stunned. "Protect? But it's my job to protect Nakahito."

"That's true. It's your duty to protect Nakahito's body and heart from harm and to love him with everything you have. But Eiki's role is to help Nakahito through life and to help him help himself. That's why she's making him spend so much time practicing with magic."

Kurumi swallowed what Kaga had said and hung her head. "You're right Kaga. I feel ashamed to have felt so envious for Eiki when she has a huge role to play in helping Master."

"That's a very mature outlook Kurumi."

Kurumi looked up at Kaga. "It is?"

"Yes. But remember that while Eiki helps Nakahito get stronger, it's your responsibility to provide him with love and protection. In that regard, I think your role is more important."

Kurumi's heart relaxed and she smiled softly. "Thank you Kaga. Now come on! We have customers."

A bewildered look crossed Kaga's face as she watched Kurumi stroll out the door and into the kitchen. That was abrupt.

"Okay girls. Lunch rush is over. Everyone feel free to take a break."

"Thanks boss!" Kurumi, Saki and Karinka sang out along with a "Thank you miss Amagi." from Kaga. Kurumi dumped the last of the dirty dishes in the kitchen sink and quickly made her way over to the customer bookshelf. She picked out the most recent Asuka Next manga magazine and sat down to read at the nearest table. She thumbed through to "Love is a Camel 'Star' Clutch" and was pleased to see that a few of the panels she and Karinka had drawn had made it in. A sudden pop brought her back to reality. Kurumi peered over the magazine to see Eiki leaning against the pepper dispenser on the table. Kurumi frowned and let a depressed expression slip over her face.

"Are you busy Kurumi?"

"No." She murmured.

"Good. Nakahito wants to see you upstairs."

Kurumi immediately perked up. "Why? Did something happen? Did you guys finish?"

Eiki grinned. "Go on up and find out." And she vanished with another pop.

Kurumi all but ran to the staircase on the other side of the café throwing a hurried "Sorry!" over her shoulder to Miss Amagi who had found Kurumi's magazine right were she left it instead of replacing it on the shelf. Kurumi bounded up the stairs, knocking over Karinka in her haste, and skidded into the room Nakahito had occupied that morning. "MASTER!" she cried out. She saw Nakahito kneeling at the window and he looked over his shoulder at the sound of Kurumi's oft-used term for him. He smiled at the sight of his bonded steel angel as she walked up to him.

"I'm glad you got up here so quickly Kurumi."

"And I'm glad you're glad Master. So did your spell work out okay?"

"Just perfectly. Could you sit down please? I'd like to talk on a more face-to-face level." Kurumi obediently sat down and crossed her legs without hesitation.

"Great." Nakahito continued. "I want to apologise for not being in your company so much lately. I understand perfectly how you always want me near you, but Eiki and I… well, uh, we…" he stopped, clearly unable to finish that sentence.

Kurumi took over for him. "It's okay Master." This caught Nakahito's attention. Kurumi went on. "I know how important Eiki is in your life and how important it is that you continue training like this. So, I'm sorry about the way I act when I see you guys together. I'll try my best not to let my jealousy get in the way of your training." As she said the last sentence, Kurumi shifted onto her knees and placed her hands on the floor and bowed to Nakahito.

The young mystic just gave a gentle smile as Kurumi made her gesture of loyalty to him. "Well, I'm happy that you made such a responsible decision Kurumi. Now, do you want to see what Eiki had me create?"

Kurumi sat back up on her knees. "I would love to, Master."

Nakahito reached back onto the cabinet in front of the window and retrieved something wrapped in blue fabric. "Kurumi," he began and with more confidence continued, "this is for you." He faced Kurumi again and showed her the beautiful pink rose lying on the cloth in his hand. Kurumi gasped, and then squealed with ecstasy as she took the rose and caressed it in her hands. "Oh, Master it's… it's BEAUTIFUL!"

"I know it is," Nakahito replied, and adding on an impulse, "just like you."

At this, Kurumi flung her arms around Nakahito and clutched him to her ample bosom, screaming with joy. Gripping her upper arms, Nakahito managed to pull his face out of Kurumi's breasts and look her in the face again. "Save the hugs for the real surprise Kurumi." Nakahito stated. Kurumi obediently sat back up, still holding the rose but barely containing her pleasure. Her master continued, "Try touching one of the petals." Kurumi moved her gaze to the flower in her palm and gently brushed one of the petals with her finger. The instant she made contact with the rose's flesh, some of the veins in the petal glowed and runes appeared to write themselves into the petal's veins. When the glow subsided, Kurumi saw her name adorned in the rose's tissue, each character was sharp and clear and a deep red against the pink of the blossom. Kurumi was about to scream out of pure joy again, but held her tongue as Nakahito held up a hand to indicate 'hold on'. He brushed the flower himself and his own name wrote itself under Kurumi's, each stroke flawlessly clear and distinct. "This rose will live for as long as those whose names are written into it do."

Kurumi just couldn't contain herself any longer. Abandoning all semblance of restraint, she threw herself at Nakahito again and planted a deep, loving kiss on his forehead. She hugged him tighter than ever and almost smothered him under the weight of her adoration, all the time screaming and proclaiming her endless devotion to him. Only when she sensed her master was having trouble breathing did she force herself to let him go and even then she kept her arms draped around his shoulders and neck. They sat there for a while longer, Kurumi rubbing her face against Nakahito's and generally basking in his presence, and Nakahito wondering if his actions had been of the best choice.

Within the Steel Institute, the 100-year-old school that had been built on the site of the very first steel fight, the chapel's organ sang a mantra of death, of impending doom and of great change. The last trembling note escaped the tall metal pipes of the organ as the Steel angel Mikado stood from her seat at the keys. She looked up to where the pipes disappeared into the ceiling as if contemplating what she had just played. "The sands of time pass, and judgment approaches." She turned her gaze to her master, the bronzed, ashen-haired mystical poet and bard whose existence was known to only a select few and whose name did even even fewer know. A name, which had been lost to history just as Nakahito's was. "I cannot believe that one so young and who carries such a burden is powerful enough to be bonded to no less than three angels."

"You know as well as I, that appearances can be so deceptive. After all, looking like an innocent girl is what brought Abyss to the final round of the first steel fight. And because of that we are here now, do not forget."

"And what is her plan? She sealed seven demons within that curse and the boy was unwittingly forced to release them."

Her master joined her at the organ bench and embraced her. Mikado accepted without reaction. The mystic uttered his thoughts into her ear. "I believe the boy, Nakahito wasn't it? He'll have to face his own demons in the near future." The arrogant, manipulative smile never left his face.


End file.
